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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — a stone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — government
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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