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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. roll — a list
  14. march — the month
  15. press — a publisher
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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