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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — in music
  4. march — music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — to rob
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. drill — army training
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — thin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lean — to bend

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