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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.

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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: rock · last · lie · march · bank · straw · stick · ball

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a great time
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — finally
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — music
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — final
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bank — of a river

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