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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — a weight
  4. snap — to click
  5. race — a contest
  6. march — the month
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rash — a series
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. race — humankind
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kick — in football
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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