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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. clip — to cut
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. clip — for paper
  19. march — the month
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — a video
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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