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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — to confront
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a face
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spell — letters
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — to rob
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bank — for money

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