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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: wound · rush · rest · bank · toast · wave · last · pop

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — a break
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — bread
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. last — final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — of a river
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. last — to go on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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