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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. march — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — in football
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — of a word
  21. mark — a trace
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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