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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — to handle
  3. race — a contest
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. march — music
  8. race — humankind
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. key — in music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — certain
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — obliged
  24. march — the month

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