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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. object — a thing
  6. mug — to rob
  7. firm — decided
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. object — an aim
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. branch — a division

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