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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — for paper
  20. march — music
  21. clip — a video
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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