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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — for digging
  6. object — an aim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pop — music
  21. bass — low music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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