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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: rest · lash · spring · mark · race · wave · march · net

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — after costs
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — in sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — the season
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. march — the month

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