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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
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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: saw · ball · date · rest · dip · jam · last · wind

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — to sink
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rest — a break
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ball — a round shape

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