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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — decided
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — a company
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. march — the month
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — in music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — music
  24. craft — boats

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