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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. sharp — clever
  6. march — the month
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. band — a ring
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. object — a thing

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