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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — a gift
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tear — to rip
  21. present — there
  22. spell — magic
  23. present — the time now
  24. saw — the tool

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