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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: snap · mouse · wave · pop · bank · game · pit · last

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pop — to visit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pit — in a race
  10. last — final
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pop — soda
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — music
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. game — a match
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bank — for money

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