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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. suit — clothes
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a leader
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. suit — to fit

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