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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — to wash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. march — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — to confront

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