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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. land — a country
  6. season — of the year
  7. march — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. march — the month
  17. season — in sport
  18. bark — of a tree

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