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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. craft — a skill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — in golf
  17. craft — boats
  18. vault — a safe
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. file — a line of people

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