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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — for money
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — before a funeral

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