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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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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: bore · march · object · cold · wake · face · bay · court

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cold — an illness
  9. march — music
  10. court — of law
  11. march — the month
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. object — an aim
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — to point toward
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. cold — not warm

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