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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — music
  4. rock — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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