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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. last — final
  3. mug — a face
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — to go on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. capital — a city
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — finally
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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