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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. march — music
  6. current — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stock — goods
  24. temple — a place of worship

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