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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. drill — army training
  7. march — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. drill — a practice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — a trainer

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