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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — a skill
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. scale — in music
  10. march — music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rule — a law
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — government
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rash — a series

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