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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — a permit
  8. present — the time now
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — in cards
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. present — there
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. march — music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bat — in an idiom

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