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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — a gift
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. present — there
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — boats
  20. toast — bread
  21. branch — a division
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. present — the time now

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