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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fall — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. bound — obliged
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rule — a law
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — out of danger

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