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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — the month
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. march — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. clip — a video
  9. ball — a great time
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. board — a committee
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — final
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — finally
  24. ball — a round shape

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