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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: rest · last · bank · mug · bay · squash · bowl · ball

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — to rob
  4. last — to go on
  5. mug — a cup
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — finally
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mug — a face

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