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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — to go on
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. file — a tool
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — a weight
  16. band — a ring
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rest — a break

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