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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. march — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — the month
  24. spell — letters

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