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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mate — a partner
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — the season
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — to lash out

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