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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. last — to go on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — in football
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bank — of a river
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fine — high quality
  23. last — final
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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