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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — a group
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — for dancing
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. tear — from crying
  23. press — to push
  24. mouse — the animal

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