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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — there
  3. suit — in cards
  4. present — the time now
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mate — a friend
  15. content — happy
  16. present — a gift
  17. suit — to fit
  18. press — to push
  19. content — the amount
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mine — belonging to me

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