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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. track — a song
  3. toast — bread
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — in cards
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — final
  13. track — a path
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — to keep track

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