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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: bear · rest · last · cap · bank · root · kick · bass

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bear — the animal
  5. last — final
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — a hat
  10. last — finally
  11. cap — of ice
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. root — the cause
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — to go on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — in football

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