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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. track — a path
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — a song
  24. present — there

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