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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — decided
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — a company
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. march — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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