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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. drill — a practice
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — to fit
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — army training
  21. row — a line
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — music

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