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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — wild animals
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. swing — music
  16. march — the month
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — a match
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com