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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. march — the month
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bass — low music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. face — part of the head
  15. march — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — hurry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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