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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hand — in cards
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hand — help
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — a series
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — on the skin

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