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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — to play on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — the underground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. swing — music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — a practice

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