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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. march — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bank — of a river
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — a permit
  11. face — to confront
  12. fall — to drop
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — to drill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fall — the season
  24. prune — to trim

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