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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 124 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — the month
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — for catching
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cell — in biology

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