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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: bank · firm · last · rule · rash · march · lie · cap

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — a law
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. last — to go on
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rule — government
  18. firm — a company
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — to recline
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — steady
  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