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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. march — the month
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rock — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. march — the month
  24. cold — not warm

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