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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. toast — bread
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — to grow
  17. march — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — of a river

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