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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bank — of a river
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wound — an injury
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. suit — to fit
  24. march — the month

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