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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · current · arm · rest · pass · wound · bear · last

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — finally
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pass — a permit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. rest — a break
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — to go on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — electric
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — of water
  24. arm — a part of something

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