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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rest — a break
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. last — final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — finally
  15. shower — rain
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — a strongbox

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