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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: lash · coach · march · rush · kid · bank · object · current

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. march — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. march — the month

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