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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · race · chair · pitcher · lash · rush · bank · march

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. race — humankind

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