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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pit — a hole
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — to rip
  24. march — the month

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