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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — soda
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pop — music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. clip — a video
  22. march — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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