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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — the month
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — a country
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wind — moving air
  20. march — the month
  21. land — ground
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bound — tied together

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