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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — boats

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