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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — soda
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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