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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. march — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — the month
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. object — an aim
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. march — the month
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — the season
  22. object — to protest
  23. ball — a great time
  24. sharp — clever

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