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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. board — a committee
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bank — of a river
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — a measure
  20. board — to get on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — to recline
  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