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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. march — the month
  3. board — a committee
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. march — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — army training
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lie — an untruth

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