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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — a gift
  4. date — the fruit
  5. present — there
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — music
  9. content — happy
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — the month

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