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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — in music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — of a river
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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