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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — government
  4. march — music
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — music
  18. rule — a law
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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