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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mate — to breed
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — rain
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rest — a break
  22. wind — moving air
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mate — a partner

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