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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fall — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — all right
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. toast — bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — to drop
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — help
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — a penalty

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