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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mate — a partner
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. march — music
  24. mate — to breed

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