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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — a measure
  5. march — the month
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. last — to go on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — final
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. firm — steady
  14. march — the month
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. last — finally
  18. firm — a company
  19. snap — to click
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — to keep secret

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