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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cue — for pool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rule — government
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — a law
  20. band — a ring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — music
  23. band — a music group
  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