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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.

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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. dip — to sink
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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