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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tube — a container
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. suit — to fit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. charge — in control
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tube — in a tire

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