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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — electricity
  8. drill — army training
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — a practice
  18. 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