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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — a container
  11. bound — certain
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rash — a series
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bound — obliged

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