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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: bay · rest · cabinet · present · mouse · march · shower · mine

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. present — there
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. present — a gift
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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