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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: saw · fan · bass · bank · bound · firm · wave · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — decided
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. march — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — obliged

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