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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — to play on
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bank — of a river
  17. last — finally
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — for money
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wind — moving air

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