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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. march — music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pop — music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — in cards
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bear — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. march — the month

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