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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: bank · wind · mug · last · shower · mate · swing · object

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — for money
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — to play on
  6. shower — rain
  7. swing — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — to protest
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — finally
  18. mug — a cup
  19. last — to go on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — of a river
  23. last — final
  24. mate — to breed

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