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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. march — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. march — the month
  24. can — a tin

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