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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bound — obliged
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — a break
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — tied together

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