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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. march — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — in football
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a ring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a music group
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — a face
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mug — to rob

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