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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. sharp — clever
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mine — for digging
  21. swing — in golf
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — to play on
  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