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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 124 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — to rip
  3. object — a thing
  4. track — a path
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — a song
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — a face
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — to rob
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. march — music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. tear — from crying
  22. track — to keep track
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. clip — to cut

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