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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — music
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spring — the season
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — a container
  24. face — to point toward

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