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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — to cut
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. shower — to wash
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. suit — in cards
  11. march — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — a video
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — rain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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