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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — music
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. roll — a list
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bore — to tire
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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