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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. club — a group
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — shares
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stock — goods
  22. mark — a trace
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — for dancing

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