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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. last — to go on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. last — finally
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — in golf
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — music
  21. last — final
  22. cell — a phone
  23. swing — to play on
  24. shower — rain

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