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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. march — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. present — there
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fall — the season
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — to drill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — the time now
  18. clip — a video
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. march — the month

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