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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a hat
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a trace
  19. march — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. patient — a sick person

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