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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.

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: bark · bay · rock · march · bore · suit · coach · rash

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bore — to drill
  15. march — the month
  16. rash — a series
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. march — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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