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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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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: shower · field · safe · rest · march · firm · spell · mate

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — rain
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spell — a short time
  15. firm — decided
  16. field — a subject
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — the month
  20. spell — magic
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — letters
  23. mate — a friend
  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