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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — of a river
  21. march — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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