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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — in a tire

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