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

Word bank: swing · bank · band · foot · key · last · rest · wave

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — the most important part
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — final
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. band — a ring
  13. key — in music
  14. band — a music group
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — music
  18. last — finally
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — a break

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