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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stand — to bear
  5. march — the month
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — to rip
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — a city
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. march — music
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. kid — child
  22. capital — money
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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