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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. bound — certain
  6. march — the month
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fall — the season
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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