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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. race — humankind
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — a container
  10. race — the arms race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — the underground
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. race — a contest
  22. march — the month
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — the fish

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