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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.

Make a worksheet

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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — a container

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