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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — there
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. last — finally
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bass — the fish
  15. last — to go on
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rest — a break
  20. suit — clothes
  21. present — the time now
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitcher — a jug

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