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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: squash · march · rock · roll · board · lean · staff · rush

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — a stone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. squash — to crush
  6. staff — employees
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rock — music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lean — thin
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — a list
  18. march — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. roll — on a roll

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