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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. last — final
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — of a river
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — finally
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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