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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cap — a lid
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. present — there
  10. march — the month
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. march — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — a gift
  24. charge — a price

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