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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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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: drill · march · stick · bay · lie · stand · rest · cabinet

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — a break
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rest — what's left

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