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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tube — a container
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — a face
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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