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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. march — the month
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. file — a tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — all right
  24. nail — for a hammer

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