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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.

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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: bank · stand · rush · march · firm · rash · current · cold

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — of water
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. march — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. current — electric
  24. cold — not warm

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