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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: branch · object · last · saw · sharp · bay · rash · rush

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — a thing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — a series
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. last — final
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — a division
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. last — finally
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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