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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. march — the month

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