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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — for digging
  15. march — the month
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mark — a trace
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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