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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. lean — to bend
  4. net — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pit — a hole
  9. key — the most important part
  10. march — music
  11. net — for catching
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. net — after costs
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — in a race

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