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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chest — of your body
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. present — there
  8. last — finally
  9. present — the time now
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — a gift
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. last — final
  16. chest — a box
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pound — a weight
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. sharp — exactly

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