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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. shower — to wash
  3. march — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — to come down
  7. toast — bread
  8. spring — a coil
  9. object — an aim
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. object — to protest
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spring — the season
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — rain
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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