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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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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spring — the season
  8. march — the month
  9. spring — a coil
  10. march — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. suit — clothes
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spring — of water
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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