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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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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: calf · sharp · wind · last · rush · present · bank · pass

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — of a river
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — a permit
  11. last — final
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. last — to go on
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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