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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: march · nail · bay · object · date · mug · rest · drill

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — the month
  4. object — a thing
  5. drill — army training
  6. mug — a cup
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. object — an aim
  15. date — the fruit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. march — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — a break

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