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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — the month
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. present — there
  10. march — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — to fit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — hasty

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