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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. march — the month

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