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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. march — music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — a box
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pass — a permit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lean — to bend
  22. scale — in music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — a friend

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