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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: suit · bank · march · last · kid · wave · row · deal

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. kid — to tease
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. kid — child
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — finally
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. suit — clothes
  23. last — to go on
  24. row — a line

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