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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · present · cabinet · wind · bank · march

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. present — the time now
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wind — moving air
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bank — for money

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