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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. march — the month
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — before a funeral

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