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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wind — moving air
  4. march — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cap — a lid
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — of ice

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