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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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 — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. march — the month
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — to protest
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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