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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. file — a tool
  6. net — after costs
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — for catching
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. net — in sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bowl — to roll

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