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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
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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: mug · march · bank · bat · shower · rush · rest · snap

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. march — the month
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — a break
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bat — in an idiom

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