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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. band — a music group
  6. root — the cause
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a word
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lie — to recline
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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