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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. drill — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. squash — to crush

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