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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rash — a series
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — there
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — the time now
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fine — all right
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rash — hasty

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