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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — to shout
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — the month
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — to grow
  24. clip — a video

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