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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. march — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — a safe
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. suit — to fit
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. march — the month
  20. scale — in music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pop — 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