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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — decided
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — a company
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — the fish
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — steady
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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