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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. present — there
  3. clip — a video
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — for paper
  6. toast — bread
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — of a plant

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