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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — magic
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spell — letters
  21. degree — temperature
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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