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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — a break
  15. present — there
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. present — the time now
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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