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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — to crush
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. march — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. clip — a video
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — to cut
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — for paper
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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