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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. last — final
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — a division
  9. last — to go on
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. last — finally
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — to bear
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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