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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. band — a music group
  6. cell — a phone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a ring
  9. stock — shares
  10. key — in music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rush — hurry

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