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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — a lid
  24. march — music

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