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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fall — the season
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — of ice
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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