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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — to visit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — a container
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. clip — for paper
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. march — music
  19. branch — a division
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. clip — a video
  22. tube — the underground
  23. clip — to cut
  24. can — a tin

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