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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cold — not warm
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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