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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. board — to get on
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kick — in football
  7. fall — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fall — to drop
  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