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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lie — to recline
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — a group
  12. field — farmland
  13. track — a song
  14. march — the month
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — a path
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. club — for dancing
  23. current — of water
  24. march — music

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