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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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. wave — of the sea
  4. kid — to tease
  5. row — a line
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — of water
  15. season — in sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — happening now
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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