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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. march — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mark — a trace

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