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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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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — help
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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