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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. march — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. race — a contest
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — the month
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. rest — a break
  24. rush — hurry

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