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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cold — not warm
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — the time now
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. present — there
  17. lean — thin
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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