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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kick — in football
  4. press — a publisher
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — to push
  8. march — music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cap — a hat
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wound — an injury
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fine — all right

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