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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. object — a thing
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — a trace
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. march — the month
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. march — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — to protest
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  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