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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: club · last · wake · bound · rush · straw · rest · season

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bound — certain
  5. season — in sport
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. season — of the year
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — final
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — finally
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. club — a group

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