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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stock — shares
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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