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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: lean · hide · mate · arm · march · bank · rush · last

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. last — final
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — finally
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to bend
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — to go on
  17. bank — of a river
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — the month

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