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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: wind · land · pound · bank · content · rush · suit · last

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. content — the amount
  7. pound — a weight
  8. last — final
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — to go on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — clothes
  17. last — finally
  18. content — happy
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — a thrill

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