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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. key — the most important part
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ground — a position
  11. march — the month
  12. key — in music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — crushed
  18. drill — army training
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cap — a lid

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