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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. swing — to play on
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. march — music
  21. press — to push
  22. swing — in golf
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — a supporter

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