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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — of the year
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — a break
  8. object — an aim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. object — to protest
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — a position
  19. season — in sport
  20. object — a thing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. ground — crushed

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