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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mug — a face
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. drill — army training
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — music
  24. drill — a practice

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