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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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