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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — to get on
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — for money
  11. dip — to sink
  12. suit — to fit
  13. season — of the year
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. game — wild animals
  16. last — final
  17. season — in sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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