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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — decided
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. field — for sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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