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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — a series
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cap — a lid
  8. march — the month
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fine — high quality
  17. march — music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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