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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. capital — a city
  8. rash — hasty
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mate — to breed
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to confront
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rash — a series

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