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

Word bank: leaves · fall · pit · stick · arm · bank · wind · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bank — of a river
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. march — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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