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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fall — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. object — to protest
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — a friend
  22. object — a thing
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fall — to drop

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