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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — army training
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. content — the amount
  14. season — of the year
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — in sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bank — for money

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