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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chest — a box
  4. band — a music group
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — a container
  10. march — music
  11. band — a ring
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — an aim
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chair — a leader
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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