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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: mouse · can · wind · present · march · bank · leaves · rush

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. march — music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. march — the month
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bank — of a river
  22. can — a tin
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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