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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: cabinet · drill · bank · stand · mate · mine · march · calf

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — to breed

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