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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bound — certain
  11. march — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wound — an injury

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