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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: rest · wake · last · dip · bank · club · bore · court

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. club — for dancing
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — a group
  8. last — final
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. last — finally
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. court — for sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — what's left

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