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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. key — for a lock
  6. race — the arms race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. march — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. present — the time now
  24. saw — the tool

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