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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: nail · toast · bank · clip · march · pound · straw · rush

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. toast — bread
  7. bank — of a river
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. march — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bank — for money
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — a video
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. clip — for paper

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