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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rush — to hurry

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