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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — music
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. march — the month
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — animal skin

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