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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: bank · rush · bore · press · march · can · rest · bark

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bark — to shout
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. press — to push
  17. rest — a break
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — music

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