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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. march — music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — animal skin

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