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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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Word bank
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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: stick · bay · rush · wound · rash · wind · court · march

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — a series
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wind — to turn a key

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