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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pop — to visit
  3. last — to go on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pit — in a race
  13. last — final
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — music
  21. last — finally
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. march — the month

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