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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. march — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — the month
  5. present — the time now
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — in cards
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rest — a break
  16. pound — a weight
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — to breed
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — rain
  22. toast — bread
  23. present — there
  24. suit — to fit

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