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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — a gift
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — an injury
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — there
  16. degree — from a university
  17. march — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. present — the time now
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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