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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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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: pound · season · wave · march · tear · bank · patient · rash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. march — the month
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — of the year
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. march — music
  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