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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — the month
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. field — a subject
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — for sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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