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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. lean — to rest against
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. shower — rain
  12. lean — thin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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