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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — there
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. present — a gift
  15. object — an aim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — the season
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — of water
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rest — what's left

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