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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to click
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — crushed
  11. object — to protest
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — a series
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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