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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rule — government
  12. last — to go on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — final
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mark — a trace

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