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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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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 · fall · bank · snap · mouse · fine · ruler · rest

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — to go on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fall — the season
  14. fine — all right
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — finally
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — what's left

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