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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — a partner
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. march — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rock — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — tied together
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — to move gently

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