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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — a gift
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — a song
  14. march — music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to tire
  24. present — the time now

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