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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 116 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: bound · bank · rush · mate · dip · land · rash · fork

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — certain
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — in a road
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — hasty
  22. land — a country
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bank — of a river

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