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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — finally
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. march — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — a weight
  17. drill — a practice
  18. march — the month
  19. last — final
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — of water
  24. march — the month

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