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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — to confront
  22. spring — of water
  23. rule — government
  24. face — part of the head

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