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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. kid — to tease
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — child
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wake — a trail
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — to be able to

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