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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 120 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: racket · lash · mark · season · plane · march · cold · present

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cold — not warm
  3. season — of the year
  4. cold — an illness
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. march — music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. season — in sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — there
  24. lash — an eyelash

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