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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — ground
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. key — for a lock
  14. can — to be able to
  15. march — the month
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — in music
  19. march — music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. key — the most important part

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