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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. lean — thin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — the season
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. last — finally
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. march — the month
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bound — certain
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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