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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. face — to point toward
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. face — part of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — a division
  19. bore — to drill
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — rain
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. shower — to wash

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