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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — the time now
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fall — the season
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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