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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. march — the month
  3. cold — not warm
  4. plane — a tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. march — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. row — a line
  18. cold — an illness
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — bread
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. march — the month
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. toast — the most admired

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