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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. clip — for paper
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. object — an aim
  23. march — the month
  24. key — the most important part

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