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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — help
  3. march — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of a king
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — of law
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — to rip
  23. present — a gift
  24. bay — a horse colour

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