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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. march — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — a line
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rush — hurry
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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