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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — a stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rock — music
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter

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