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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — a list
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. march — the month

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