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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. march — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. object — to protest
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mate — to breed
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. march — the month
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — a partner

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