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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — a hole
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — there
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bound — certain
  20. present — the time now
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a grade
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a trace

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