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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — a country
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. present — a gift
  12. march — the month
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — there
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — ground
  22. present — the time now
  23. rush — a thrill
  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