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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. march — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — to keep track
  22. press — newspapers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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