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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitch — completely

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