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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — the season
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spring — of water
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. march — music
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — the instrument

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