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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — a leader
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. last — to go on
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. last — final

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