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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. swing — music
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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