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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. march — the month
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chest — a box
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bank — for money
  21. kid — child
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. march — music

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