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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — a break
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a ring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — army training
  21. band — a music group
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — a thrill

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