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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. march — the month
  9. ground — a position
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — a permit
  16. march — music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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