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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a path
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to confront
  5. pop — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. march — music
  8. track — a song
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. pop — soda
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. club — for dancing
  24. face — to point toward

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