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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. last — to go on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — for money

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