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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — to fit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — to breed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — in cards
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. suit — clothes
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. capital — money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. march — the month
  24. capital — a big letter

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