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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. march — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tear — to rip
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. land — to come down
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. field — a subject
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — for sport

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