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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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. nail — on a finger
  4. season — of the year
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — to wash
  11. march — the month
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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