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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — to crush
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. march — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a leader
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — to breed

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