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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — a gift
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bank — of a river
  6. march — the month
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. court — of a king
  16. march — the month
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. court — of law

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