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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: rule · lean · hide · land · march · bore · track · squash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — a country
  8. rule — government
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. track — a path
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — to crush
  20. land — to come down
  21. march — the month
  22. land — ground
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hide — to keep secret

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