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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. march — the month
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — decided
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — steady
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — thin
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bore — to tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to bend

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