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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. key — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. last — final
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. march — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — child

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