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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: wound · saw · march · date · current · rush · lean · nail

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lean — thin
  15. march — the month
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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