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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. present — there
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — music
  17. last — finally
  18. present — the time now
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — final
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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