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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · fine · mate · band · rock · march · snap · kick

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a music group
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kick — in football
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rock — music
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to click

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