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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — for catching
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — a sauce

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