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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rock — music

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