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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — to bear
  9. drill — army training
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. march — the month

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