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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — a horse colour

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