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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. last — to go on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — happening now
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — of water
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — final
  14. current — electric
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ball — a dance
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — finally
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to point toward
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a round shape

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