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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — to point toward
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. face — part of the head
  8. last — to go on
  9. march — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. face — to confront
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. last — finally
  19. ball — a dance
  20. last — final
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to click
  24. spell — magic

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