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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 120 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: mine · ball · march · pass · saw · stick · bank · wound

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ball — a dance
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. march — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — a permit

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