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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — happening now
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — money
  24. fine — high quality

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