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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — to protest
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. drill — a practice
  19. march — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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