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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lean — to bend
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a music group
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stand — to bear
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — the fish
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to rest against

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