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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — a position
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. march — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ground — crushed
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stand — to bear

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