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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. last — final
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — clothes
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bass — low music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. firm — steady
  18. last — finally
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. last — to go on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. shower — to wash

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