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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cap — of ice
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chip — for betting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a hat
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — a face
  24. rush — a thrill

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