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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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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: track · stick · lash · march · shower · sharp · present · pop

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. present — there
  17. pop — to visit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pop — music
  24. shower — to wash

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