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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 116 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: pop · bank · present · bear · bat · mate · sharp · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. present — the time now
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — final
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. sharp — clever
  21. present — a gift
  22. pop — soda
  23. present — there
  24. mate — a partner

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