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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a dance
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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