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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: rest · ground · march · spell · hand · bank · bound · mug

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ground — a position
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mug — a face
  14. march — the month
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rest — what's left

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