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

Word bank: march · bay · rest · bear · staff · lie · racket · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  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