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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. row — a line
  6. ground — a position
  7. mate — to breed
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. row — to paddle

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