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

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fall — the season
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fine — all right
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. last — finally
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. last — final
  20. rock — a stone
  21. last — to go on
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — high quality

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