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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the sport
  10. march — the month
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — music

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