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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · mug · lean · land · key · can · bear · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to bend
  7. land — to come down
  8. clip — for paper
  9. can — a tin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — a video
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mug — a cup
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. key — in music
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — thin
  23. land — ground
  24. march — the month

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