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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: march · safe · hand · fall · game · present · rock · swing

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. present — there
  9. game — a match
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hand — help
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fall — the season
  17. march — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. present — a gift
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — in cards

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