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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — the season
  4. clip — to cut
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — the month
  19. clip — a video
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. march — music
  24. clip — for paper

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