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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — in cards
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. present — the time now
  7. march — music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. shower — to wash
  10. present — a gift
  11. rash — hasty
  12. present — there
  13. shower — rain
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — a series
  18. suit — to fit
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. craft — a skill
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spell — a short time

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