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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. march — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. tube — a container
  11. stand — to bear
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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