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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. march — the month
  3. last — final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. march — the month
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — after costs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. march — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — to go on

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