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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · rash · bank · wind · mug · wake · rest · ball

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ball — a great time

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