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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — decided
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. race — humankind
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — the fish
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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