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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spring — the season
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. march — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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