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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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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: mate · last · swing · calf · can · rest · bank · content

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — the amount
  10. swing — to play on
  11. last — final
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — a break
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. last — finally
  23. content — happy
  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