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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mark — a trace
  24. firm — steady

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