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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — a hole
  8. present — a gift
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. present — the time now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — there
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. march — music

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