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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — completely
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bark — to shout
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mine — belonging to me

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