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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — to go on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fine — all right

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