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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. present — there
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — a permit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. race — a contest
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — humankind
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — clever

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