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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — final
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. firm — a company
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. last — to go on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. bowl — to roll

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