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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · stick · march · field · mark · rest

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. field — for sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a trace
  12. field — farmland
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. rest — a break
  18. field — a subject

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