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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — a contest
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — the sport
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — humankind
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — bread
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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