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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. foot — a measure
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — a division
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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