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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — in cards
  9. march — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to drill
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hand — help
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. march — the month

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