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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. kick — in football
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — for pool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to click
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — a break
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. march — music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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