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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. court — of law
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — to recline
  14. scale — in music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. court — of a king
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — a company
  24. lash — an eyelash

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