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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · tear · rash · capital · last · date · foot · bank

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — a series
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. foot — a measure
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — finally
  9. object — a thing
  10. capital — a city
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rash — hasty
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — final
  24. object — to protest

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