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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — music
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — the month
  12. face — part of the head
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. present — there
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — 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