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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. spring — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — of water
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spring — a coil

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