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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: bowl · march · rock · rest · current · lean · bark · fall

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. fall — to drop
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — of water
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. march — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rest — what's left

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