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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. march — music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. file — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a document
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. swing — in golf
  15. march — the month
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bound — certain
  22. file — a line of people
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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