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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — the underground
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bat — the animal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — a container

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