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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. march — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. last — finally
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cap — a hat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a friend
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — the month
  24. cap — a lid

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