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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.

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: mark · lash · march · safe · bat · spring · mouse · land

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. land — a country
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. land — ground
  20. march — music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — to come down
  23. safe — out of danger
  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