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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — of a river
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a lid
  9. march — the month
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cell — a phone
  21. march — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — to get on

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