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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.

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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: dip · last · bank · season · saw · rock · deal · swing

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. last — finally
  8. season — of the year
  9. last — to go on
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — a stone
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rock — music
  19. last — final
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — to play on

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