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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: bank · roll · march · pound · rash · row · wave · calf

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rash — hasty
  13. march — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pound — to hit hard

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