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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. present — a gift
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — there
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spring — a coil
  9. march — the month
  10. present — the time now
  11. bound — certain
  12. spring — of water
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spring — the season
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — music
  24. bound — tied together

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