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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: pit · march · deal · jam · date · wax · lash · present

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. date — the fruit
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — music
  12. present — a gift
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. march — the month
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — to grow
  20. present — there
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — in a race

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