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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. staff — employees
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. fall — the season
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tear — to rip

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