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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a dance
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — in cards
  14. face — part of the head
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. face — to point toward
  17. march — the month
  18. row — to paddle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — clothes

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