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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — an aim
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — a thing
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — in control
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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