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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — soda
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — boats
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — for a hammer

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