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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — a box
  4. fall — the season
  5. drill — army training
  6. rock — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — the tool

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