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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. last — finally
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mate — a friend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. charge — in control
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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