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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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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: lash · march · rash · ball · trunk · bank · rest · snap

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. snap — to click
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — hasty
  9. march — the month
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — a break
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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