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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. march — the month
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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