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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — bread
  4. spring — the season
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. roll — a list
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spring — of water
  13. march — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. roll — a cake
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — a division
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — a coil
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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