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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. face — to confront
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a trace
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. face — part of the head
  14. march — the month
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — of the sea

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