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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 124 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. field — for sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — to drill
  12. field — a subject
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — a thing
  20. field — farmland
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — hurry
  23. object — an aim
  24. bore — to tire

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