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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. last — final
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. last — to go on
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — to go away

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