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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. march — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a partner

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