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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — a leader
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — electricity
  6. last — to go on
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — finally
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. last — final
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. march — the month
  21. file — a document
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. file — a tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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