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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
468
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: content · mate · nail · suit · clip · last · object · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — final
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. last — finally
  16. content — happy
  17. object — a thing
  18. mate — a friend
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. content — the amount
  21. object — an aim
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — for money
  24. clip — to cut

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