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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 116 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. march — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — in a race
  6. charge — a price
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — from crying
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spring — of water
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. press — newspapers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — in control
  24. tear — to rip

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