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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cue — a hint
  3. march — music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cue — a signal
  6. march — the month
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cue — for pool
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a music group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. march — the month
  22. present — there
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. band — a rubber band

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