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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.

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

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. march — music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. land — a country
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — ground
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — all right
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fall — to drop

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