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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a dance

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