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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cap — of ice
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — a lid
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — a hat
  24. safe — out of danger

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