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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — army training
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. drill — a practice
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to rest against

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