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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — a gift
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bass — low music
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — to sink
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bass — the fish
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. march — music
  23. present — there
  24. dip — a sauce

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