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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. charge — a price
  6. squash — to crush
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bank — of a river
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. craft — boats

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