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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a grade
  5. present — a gift
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — army training
  10. present — there
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — a practice
  13. march — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — the underground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — a container
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — the time now
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — of a river
  24. drill — the tool

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