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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — a permit
  12. season — in sport
  13. march — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — to fit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. suit — clothes

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