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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: suit · bay · bank · saw · coach · rock · last · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. last — final
  3. land — a country
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. suit — clothes
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — to fit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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