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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. 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. march — the month
  2. last — finally
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bound — certain
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — music
  11. last — final
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. last — to go on
  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