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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: last · branch · lean · mate · march · rash · mark · bay

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. mate — a partner
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. last — finally
  5. rash — a series
  6. mate — to breed
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lean — thin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — a division
  13. mark — a trace
  14. last — final
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  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