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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — low music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — in football
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fall — the season
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bore — to drill
  21. march — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rush — a thrill

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