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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — to go on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. last — finally
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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