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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lie — to recline
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. spring — of water
  17. march — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — an eyelash

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