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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. object — a thing
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — to protest
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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