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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. face — to confront
  3. march — music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. march — the month
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  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