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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. suit — to fit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. march — music

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