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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 124 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tear — from crying
  12. march — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — finally
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. last — final

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