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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — of water
  11. perch — the fish
  12. land — to come down
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. current — electric
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. land — ground

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