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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pop — soda
  4. kick — in football
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — to fit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — a thrill

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