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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. saw — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. staff — a stick
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — to go on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. arm — part of the body

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