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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — a path
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — a gift
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. track — a song
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — of a river
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — on your feet

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