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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. march — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fall — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — from a university
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. degree — temperature

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