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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. swing — to play on
  5. last — finally
  6. pitch — completely
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — humankind
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — a contest
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — final
  23. rest — a break
  24. swing — in golf

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