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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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