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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. firm — steady
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spring — of water
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. firm — a company

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