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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. face — to point toward
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. face — to confront
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. tube — a container
  22. race — the arms race
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — part of the head

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