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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — of water
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — certain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. root — of a word
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — the season

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