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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. march — the month
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mug — a cup
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. row — a line
  13. cold — not warm
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — a face
  16. roll — a list
  17. press — a publisher
  18. roll — a cake
  19. suit — to fit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. row — a quarrel

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