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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: can · rush · march · wake · toast · bank · land · lean

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. march — music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to bend
  7. land — a country
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — bread
  10. bank — of a river
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — to come down
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. land — ground
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. march — the month

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