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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. drill — army training
  7. bank — of a river
  8. march — the month
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to sink

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