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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lean — thin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rule — a law
  10. shower — to wash
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — government
  15. shower — rain
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ball — a dance
  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