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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. court — of law
  4. rule — a law
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — a trace
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — of the year
  20. mark — a grade
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — government
  24. mark — to pay attention

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