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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tube — the underground
  8. race — humankind
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — music
  11. race — a contest
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. shower — rain
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — a container
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mark — a grade
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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