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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pit — in a race
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — a company
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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