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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: march · bank · firm · saw · rush · cue · chest · mug

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. firm — steady
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. firm — decided
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — to rob
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — a box
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — to hurry

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