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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — a break
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to click
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. field — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rest — what's left
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mark — to pay attention

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