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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — happening now
  4. kick — in football
  5. march — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — of the year
  10. current — electric
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a document
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. file — a line of people
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — clothes
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — a thrill

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