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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ground — a position
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. toast — bread
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — clothes
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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