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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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Word bank
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — to protest
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mate — to breed
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — a partner
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — music

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