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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — decided
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — the underground
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to confront
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — part of the head
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. face — to point toward
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. firm — a company
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — in cards

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