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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. march — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. safe — out of danger

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