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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. march — music
  11. hand — help
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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