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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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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: object · wave · cold · stick · march · swing · bank · land

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bank — of a river
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. march — the month
  11. cold — not warm
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — ground

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