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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — the month
  7. tear — to rip
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rest — a break
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. band — a music group
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. march — music

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