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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. drill — army training
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. march — the month
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. march — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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