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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spell — letters
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tube — the underground
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — a container
  21. march — music
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. drill — army training

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