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

Word bank: suit · stick · fall · march · wound · mark · perch · jam

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. march — the month
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. fall — the season
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

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