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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — low music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — the month
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kick — with a leg

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