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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 120 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: wave · squash · rock · clip · last · bank · rush · pass

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. clip — to cut
  3. last — final
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. clip — for paper
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — finally
  24. rock — a stone

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