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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. clip — to cut
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. clip — a video
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to succeed

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