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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: rest · wake · face · mark · wind · march · fine · nail

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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