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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: leaves · rush · can · firm · pop · rest · cell · last

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. firm — steady
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — soda
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — a tin
  8. last — final
  9. rest — a break
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pop — music
  23. firm — a company
  24. leaves — of a tree

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