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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. march — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rock — music
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — thin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rock — a stone

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