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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. content — the amount
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. content — happy
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rock — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. face — to point toward

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