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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — government
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — music

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