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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. last — final
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — a break

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