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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rock — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — to go on
  11. content — the amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cell — a phone
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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