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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: bound · rash · march · plane · rule · band · nail · rush

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. rule — a law
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — government
  16. band — a ring
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. march — the month

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