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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a dance
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a great time
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hand — help
  24. march — music

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