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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — in cards
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — a phone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — music
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in biology
  16. toast — bread
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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