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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — a container
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — thin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — the underground

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