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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — a thing
  3. march — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — the season
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bore — to tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — a gift
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. present — there
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bore — to drill

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