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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bank — for money
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. bank — of a river
  10. toast — bread
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mark — a grade
  13. march — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. march — the month
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — of water

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