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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — to recline
  7. march — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — for digging
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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