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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a great time
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. march — music
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kick — in football
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. season — of the year
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tube — a container
  24. trunk — of a tree

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