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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spell — letters
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. march — the month
  11. season — of the year
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — magic
  21. season — in sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. sharp — with an edge

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