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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: toast · nail · march · mug · mark · ball · prune · hide

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. toast — bread
  4. march — the month
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — to trim
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a great time
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — music
  24. hide — animal skin

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