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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. march — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a trace
  9. band — a ring
  10. mark — a grade
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tear — from crying
  15. march — the month
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — government
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rule — a law
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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