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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. march — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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