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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: cell · rush · coach · march · lie · squash · bank · drill

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cell — a phone
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. drill — a practice
  24. coach — a trainer

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