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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bank — of a river
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kid — to tease

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