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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. last — final
  11. rush — hurry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rest — a break
  23. march — the month
  24. last — finally

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