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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. march — music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — government
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mate — a partner
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mate — to breed

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