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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · race · bank · staff · march · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. race — a contest
  8. march — the month
  9. race — humankind
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — music
  13. rest — a break
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left

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