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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · rash · craft · mate · firm · kid · march · season

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rash — hasty
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — a skill
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. firm — decided
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mate — to breed
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — a company
  24. march — the month

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