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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. march — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — final
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. march — the month
  13. last — finally
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chair — a professorship

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