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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — in sport
  3. march — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — in football
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — a friend
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. march — the month
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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