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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mug · dip · kid · key · march · lash · drill · pitcher

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kid — child
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to sink
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — a cup
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. kid — to tease
  22. drill — army training
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lash — an eyelash

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