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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · perch · march · wound · bank · bear · bass · tube

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bass — low music
  12. march — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the fish
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — a container
  24. perch — the fish

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