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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. leaves — to go away
  4. march — the month
  5. mark — a trace
  6. present — a gift
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. present — there
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. mark — a grade
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hand — part of the body

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