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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — in music
  4. season — in sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bore — to drill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — to drop

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