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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — in control
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — the season
  19. file — a document
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — for money

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