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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — letters
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spell — a short time
  8. march — music
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — magic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ruler — for measuring

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