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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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. march — music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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