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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. board — a committee
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. last — to go on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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