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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — the season
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. march — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — of water
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hand — help
  19. degree — from a university
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — a coil

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