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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. march — the month
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — to pay attention

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