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

Word bank: mine · jam · lash · leaves · march · toast · race · bay

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. race — humankind
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mine — for digging
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — bread
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. leaves — lets stay

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