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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. face — to confront
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. march — the month
  7. content — the amount
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — a face
  17. march — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rock — music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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