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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pass — a permit
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — to confront
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to point toward
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pop — soda
  24. kid — to tease

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