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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.

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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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