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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: snap · wake · march · field · mine · toast · safe · board

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. snap — to click
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. field — for sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. board — a committee
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. field — farmland
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. toast — bread
  24. field — a subject

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