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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. clip — to cut
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. clip — a video
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — rain
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. march — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bore — to tire
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to drill

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