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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — child
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — a trail
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kid — to tease
  20. march — the month
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. march — the month

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