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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.

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: field · lash · saw · ruler · mark · toast · ball · march

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. toast — bread
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. march — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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