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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rule — a law
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — government
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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