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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — final
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — rain
  14. band — a music group
  15. shower — to wash
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — a tin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — to go on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the body

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