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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — a thing
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. march — the month
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fall — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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