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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rash — a series
  4. kid — to tease
  5. march — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kid — child
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. safe — a strongbox

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