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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rash — a series
  22. toast — bread
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — size or range

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