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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: march · tube · present · plane · fork · wake · pass · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. march — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. plane — an aircraft

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