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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — army training
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. snap — to click
  22. march — the month
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — a practice

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