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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — a box
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. band — a ring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. march — the month
  17. chest — of your body
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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