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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.

Make a worksheet

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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cell — in biology
  14. march — the month
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. march — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — a phone

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