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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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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: wave · kid · rush · suit · march · bank · race · cell

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. march — the month
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cell — a phone
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. race — a contest
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — child
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — in biology

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