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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. march — the month
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. suit — to fit
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — finally
  10. march — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — to go on
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — final

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