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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. march — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — low music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. toast — bread
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. saw — the tool

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