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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. march — music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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