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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. march — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. present — there
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — all right

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