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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. march — the month
  5. land — to come down
  6. stem — to come from
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. net — for catching
  10. land — a country
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — in sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — after costs
  21. firm — decided
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. land — ground

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