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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. march — the month
  4. hand — help
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spring — of water
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — to cut
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — music

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