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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 116 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 · spell · press · rest · saw · cold · last · pitcher

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — to push
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — to go on
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — a break
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spell — letters
  23. cold — not warm
  24. last — finally

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