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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. 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. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. suit — in cards
  8. press — a publisher
  9. track — a song
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — clothes
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — size or range
  20. suit — to fit
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — to keep track
  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