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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a song
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. capital — a city
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fall — the season
  16. capital — money
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to bend

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