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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — to drill
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. clip — to cut
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to tire
  8. clip — a video
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. clip — for paper
  20. field — a subject
  21. march — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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