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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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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: mate · pop · rock · march · drill · ground · suit · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. march — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. march — the month
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — army training
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — the tool
  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