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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. charge — in control
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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