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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — to wash
  23. season — of the year
  24. suit — in cards

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