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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. press — newspapers
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ground — crushed
  6. branch — a division
  7. foot — a measure
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — a publisher
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — clothes
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lash — to lash out

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