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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — a trace
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — thin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — ground
  10. march — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. land — to come down
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — a country
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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