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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mine — for digging
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. march — music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bank — for money
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. saw — the tool

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