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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stand — to bear
  3. present — the time now
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. march — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. present — there
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — to crush

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