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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. pit — a hole
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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