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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cue — a hint
  10. march — music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — a stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — for pool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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