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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mate — to breed
  21. last — final
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rest — what's left

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