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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. suit — clothes
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — for a lock
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — the most important part

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