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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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — help
  19. fall — the season
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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