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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.

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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: bay · last · fine · march · face · cabinet · cold · ruler

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — finally
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — final
  7. fine — all right
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cold — not warm
  18. last — to go on
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. face — to confront

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