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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. root — of a word
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rule — government
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fine — all right

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