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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. march — the month
  5. dip — to sink
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — a law
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. march — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. present — the time now
  18. snap — to click
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a list
  22. rule — government
  23. present — there
  24. dip — to dunk

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