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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — magic
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — to crush
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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