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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: stand · rash · fine · bank · march · drill · lean · snap

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. snap — to click
  10. rash — a series
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bank — of a river
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stand — to bear
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rash — hasty

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