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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — magic
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — size or range

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