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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. march — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. track — to keep track
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — a weight
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mark — a grade

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