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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — of a river
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — a group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a dance

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