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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to bend
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — music
  21. rock — music
  22. march — the month
  23. rock — a stone
  24. march — the month

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