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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. march — the month
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. march — the month

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