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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. march — the month
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — the season
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. stem — to come from
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — for dancing
  17. plane — a tool
  18. club — a group
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — music
  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