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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — a practice
  3. suit — to fit
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — of ice
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — army training
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. march — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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