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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — steady
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — tied together

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