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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — thin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of law
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of a king
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — a trail
  21. march — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — of a river

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