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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pop — soda
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pop — music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. march — music

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