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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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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: last · rest · bank · content · stick · face · prune · game

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. last — final
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. last — finally
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — a match
  12. last — to go on
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to point toward
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — a break
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. face — to confront

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