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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — to get on
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. march — the month
  22. object — to protest
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. object — an aim

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