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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bank — of a river
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bear — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — a division
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — to lash out

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