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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: stem · bank · march · bay · last · fall · band · hand

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a ring
  3. hand — help
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. march — the month
  10. last — final
  11. fall — the season
  12. march — music
  13. last — finally
  14. band — a music group
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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