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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chest — a box
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. march — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bat — the animal

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