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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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