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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — electric
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to confront
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. current — of water
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. march — music
  22. track — a path
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — to trim

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