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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lean — thin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. lean — to rest against

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