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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a document
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fine — all right
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — high quality

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