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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cap — a lid
  16. march — the month
  17. object — to protest
  18. march — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. object — a thing

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