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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. suit — in cards
  8. march — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. race — a contest
  12. bore — to drill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — the month
  16. cold — not warm
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — clothes
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cold — an illness

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