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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a grade
  5. march — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. press — to push
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. field — a subject
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. field — for sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mark — a trace
  19. field — farmland
  20. fall — to drop
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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