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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: march · date · stick · bore · dip · key · face · bank

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — the fruit
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bore — to drill
  9. key — in music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bank — for money
  23. bore — to tire
  24. face — to confront

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