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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 124 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. drill — army training
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — for spectators

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