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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. club — for golf
  6. pass — a permit
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. march — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — a group
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — a series
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fork — to eat with

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