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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — for pool
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — a signal
  16. race — a contest
  17. fork — in a road
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lean — thin
  20. march — the month
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lean — to rest against

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