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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. shower — rain

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