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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — a container
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tube — the underground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. march — music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. squash — the vegetable

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