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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — the season
  5. mate — a friend
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — to breed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — a partner
  23. craft — boats
  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