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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. root — the cause
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the sport
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a lid
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. squash — to crush
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — of a word
  24. rush — to hurry

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