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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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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: mine · dip · last · arm · wind · bank · date · racket

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. dip — to sink
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — for digging
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — the fruit
  14. last — to go on
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. arm — part of the body

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