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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — all right
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — a video
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — high quality
  14. current — electric
  15. clip — for paper
  16. toast — bread
  17. march — music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — to confront
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — happening now
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — of water

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