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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spring — a coil
  7. perch — the fish
  8. march — the month
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spring — of water
  23. march — music
  24. ball — a great time

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