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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — music
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a song
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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