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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — a coil
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — the month
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — the season
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — of a river
  18. board — to get on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. drill — the tool
  24. march — music

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