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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. band — a ring
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — steady
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. last — final
  19. rest — a break
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rash — hasty
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — a jug

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