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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: pit · last · arm · bank · hide · mug · race · rest

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. race — humankind
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mug — a face
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — a contest
  19. last — final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rest — a break
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mug — a cup

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