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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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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. swing — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — of the year
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — music
  18. mate — a friend

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