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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — all right
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. last — finally
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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