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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. march — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — to point toward
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — moving air
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. face — to confront
  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