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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a music group
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. band — a ring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — final
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — a break
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — finally
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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