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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. march — the month
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. shower — rain
  11. foot — a measure
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cap — a lid

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