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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. object — a thing
  9. suit — in cards
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — the month
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. march — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. suit — to fit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — a thrill

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