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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to click
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. object — an aim
  7. bank — for money
  8. suit — clothes
  9. march — music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — to protest
  15. last — finally
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — a stone
  18. march — the month
  19. club — for golf
  20. last — to go on
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — final
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — the month

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