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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — a practice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. march — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. drill — army training
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — to play on
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — of water

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