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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. last — finally
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — to go on
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — final
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — a list

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