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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cold — an illness
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bank — of a river
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cold — the Cold War

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