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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. march — the month
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. face — to confront
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. face — part of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. leaves — lets stay

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