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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.

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: patient · squash · mine · season · last · rest · march · bay

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. last — finally
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rest — a break
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — to go on
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. last — final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mine — for digging
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bay — a horse colour

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