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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — finally
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — an untruth

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