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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wake — a trail
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. last — to go on
  10. march — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pit — a hole
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — in a race
  24. last — final

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