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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. snap — to click
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rest — a break
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — to push
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — to put up with

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