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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: march · bank · hide · patient · current · rush · plane · temple

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — happening now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — of water
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — an aircraft

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