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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — ground
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — a signal
  14. march — the month
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. land — to come down
  18. march — music
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — a permit
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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