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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for golf
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a music group
  9. march — music
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — to fit
  12. land — ground
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stem — to come from
  17. march — the month
  18. land — a country
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. band — a rubber band

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