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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — finally
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — the month
  12. club — a group
  13. file — a line of people
  14. last — final
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for golf
  18. file — a document
  19. march — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. march — the month
  22. last — to go on
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a tool

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