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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. last — to go on
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — for golf
  12. last — final
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — for dancing
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. club — a group
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — finally
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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