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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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