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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — a law
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — of water
  22. rule — government
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — 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