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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mate — a partner
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. march — the month
  22. club — a group
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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