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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of law
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — there
  19. root — the cause
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — the time now
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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