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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — to get on
  5. mug — a face
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — final
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — the time now
  22. mug — to rob
  23. present — there
  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