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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: wake · march · bark · bank · charge · root · rush · cold

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — a trail
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — of a river
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — the month
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rush — hurry
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — of a word
  22. march — the month
  23. root — the cause
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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