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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mark — a grade
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — of water
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bass — low music
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — finally
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — of a river
  24. last — final

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