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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. march — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — for sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — rain
  8. firm — decided
  9. craft — boats
  10. lean — thin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. craft — a skill
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — steady
  15. fine — all right
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. firm — a company

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