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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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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: nail · date · saw · bay · bank · march · wake · race

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — humankind
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. march — the month
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — a contest

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