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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — a position
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ground — crushed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kid — child
  12. march — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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