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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 124 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — of a river
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — soda
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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