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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a path
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a ring
  13. root — the cause
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a music group
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a song
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — to keep track

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